


Samael

by ACFan120



Category: Original Work
Genre: Maids RPG
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-21
Updated: 2020-09-21
Packaged: 2021-03-07 18:54:52
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,807
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26572543
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ACFan120/pseuds/ACFan120
Summary: A short story of a man's family, and his fate.
Kudos: 2





	Samael

Sunshine rained down on the snow, glistening all that laid before the hamlet of Hush. The air was bitter, and a light breeze caressed the ground, making mists around the homes. The fire burned in the hearth, as my child and I sat by, basking in the warmth. I thumbed through her favorite picture book, watching her smile and point at the cute drawings. I could tell she was laughing, but it was muted and quiet.

It’s saddening to not hear your own girl’s voice, but around these parts you need to get used to the silence. No one really understood why these woods were this way; where no sound is permitted travel within it. Some say the gods find respite here in the eternal silence, while others think a great beast once stole all sound from here. Despite whatever reason, though, we still found a home here. Around the outer edge of the woods grows small crystals, which does allow us to speak freely when within a couple paces of them. However, they’re scarce in quantity, so we’re often left in silence when the hunters take them for their ventures.

Thankfully, we still found a way. My little Sariel showed her hand, with her thumb, index, and little finger extended outward. I expressed the same, ‘I love you’, back with a matching sign. She was always such a happy little sweetheart; so quick to hug and befriend everyone she met. I suppose she gets that from me, since her mother was rather---

The thought was interrupted by the alarming sound of a door slamming open. The sound bellowing around could only mean that Azrael was back from the hunt. She stomped in, leaving prints of snow on the floorboards, and slammed down a half frozen deer leg onto the table. With a huff, she stabbed her sword downward, and looked to us.

“Mum! Mum!” Sariel exclaimed, as she ran over to her, arms wide. Sariel embraced her mother, but she stood there, still looking at me.

“Get to skinning and cooking that thing,” she bluntly put. Most would think it crass or rude to just come home without a simple ‘Hello’, but it’s how she’d always been. She was the leader for the hunts for a reason; her stature and build were intimidating, and her commanding presence could lead a militia to fight the king’s royal guard. 

I put the now-skinned leg on the spit, and began to turn it. Azrael grumbled and cursed the hunt they just went on. It had become harder to find animals, lately, unless you traveled far out from the hamlet. Some suspected it was because of the weather becoming harsher, but no reasoning could soothe the anger that simmered within her. Even the smiles of her own daughter couldn’t sway her mood. We ate what we could, and salted the rest for tomorrow. Before turning in, she made mention that she was to go on another hunt the following morning.

“But love, isn’t it too soon? You only just got back, perhaps if you--”

She interrupted with that presence of hers, “Are you suggesting I let the people here starve out? Should I let us all die then, Samael? Do you want *her* to die, too?”

Though I knew her to be bold and headstrong, this seemed far too aggressive for her. “My dear, what’s gotten into you? A poor hunt never left you like this before.”

She sat in silence for a moment, “We lost Archae and Eric on the hunt. They thought they found something and wandered off, but…. Something else found them. We only knew it was them because we found their crystal lanterns. Otherwise, it was all… red.” She looked to the fire with grief and anger. I tried to comfort her, but it wasn’t enough to soothe her. She stood, and walked off to her bed. Sariel tugged on my sleeve, with a terribly sad look on her. She always hated when her mother raised her voice.

“Is Mum mad at me?”

“No dear, your mother isn’t mad with you, don’t worry.”

“Why was she so angry?”

“Well…”, it was always difficult to explain these things to someone so young, “We lost some people we know today, dear.”

Her sadness turned to curiosity, “Where did they go?”

“We don’t really know, love.”

“Did a scary monster get em? Did it go all, ‘rawr, rawr’”

I could help but laugh at the surprisingly macabre thought she had, “I should certainly hope not.”

“Daddy I wanna be friends with the monsters!” she exclaimed.

“And why’s that?”

“Cause then they won’t be all scary if they have friends.”

“That’s enough, you two. Go to bed,” Azrael said from her bed. I took Sariel by the hand, and tucked her into her bed. She snuggled her face against the blankets, and fell right asleep just as I was getting myself in bed.

* * *

The weeks went on, and the hunts continued. Slowly the food supply dwindled, as well as members of our settlement. More and more hunters became lost to the muted woods, leaving nothing but a red mist and their lanterns. Some who did not even join the hunts were lost to their own mind. An air of loneliness and melancholy enveloped some of our people, and no manner of support or comfort could drive them out of their state. If it wasn’t starvation that did them in, the cold would take them instead. No matter of healing magic I or the other clerics could provide would save them from their self-torment.

When our numbers reached around 15, we collectively decided to abandon our homes, and make way south to Yornsumit. It was disheartening to leave Hush. We had only been there for a few years. The game was good there, and the soil fertile. Despite the peculiar nature of the woods, it was our home, and we made due with what we had. Our departure left me feeling sorrow, but left my Azrael more furious. She was angered by the loss of the hunters, frustrated with those who were lost to depression, and outraged by whatever man or beast caused this blight upon us. I did my best to keep my Sariel calm and happy, but seeing her mother in such a state frightened her so much.

We made a good pace on our first few days of travel, despite the steady snowfall. With our dwindled numbers, we were able to eat with what food we had remaining. Azrael kept watch during the nights, despite my worries for her wellbeing. She would often sit away from our group, isolating herself from everyone. Our daughter would try to sit with her and bring her flowers, but she would coldy tell her to go back to my side.

On the morning of the fourth day, I awoke to find that Sariel had gone missing. The sun just barely began to rise, and everyone was still resting. Azrael still sat aways from the campsite, huddled out with her sword in the ground. I could see small footsteps leading from our makeshift bed, heading off into the woods. Worried for the worst, I grabbed a crystal lanturn and began to follow the little trail. In hindsight, I should have told the others about this, but I was too panicked to think straight.

The trail went quite a ways into the woods. Sariel was quite fast on her feet, even for being someone so young and small. I could see spots where she stopped and looked at some of the frost flowers, stopped to see a rabbit, and took a break to sit somewhere. She couldn’t have gotten far, I thought to myself. Were this normal woods, a few shouts of her name would probably be all that was needed to find her.

I felt a strange sensation take over me, the farther along I went on the trail. That feeling of loneliness that plagued so many in Hush began to grow strong within me. I began to feel so very alone out in these woods, like there was nothing around me for miles.I did my best to shake it off, reminding myself of our remaining group, and of my little Sariel. Despite my attempts, the feeling grew stronger and stronger, and I found it more and more difficult to continue on. However, just as I moved past a nearby tree, I saw something that completely halted those notions, and replaced them for something much more dreadful.

What stood before me was my Sariel, untouched and unharmed, thankfully, but also a beast. It was massive in size, with long, withered limbs that matched the white, frozen bark of the surrounding trees. Its back was hunched, and protruded what looked like branches, but were mangled and gnarled. Its neck stretched far, and the head was almost like a log, with one lone red eye on the long end of it. A clawed hand, stained in so much red, reached out for my daughter, and she was about to embrace it like it was her own mother.

Not waiting for another moment, I rushed over to her side. In my panic, I had dropped the crystal lantern in the snow, so my calls out to her were lost among the silence. I quickly picked her up and backstepped away from the beast. Its head followed me like a snake, the rest of its body immobile. I could see more clearly now the cuts and gashes left on it, presumably by the hunters who found it before. Its body reeled back, as it readied one of its claws. I continued to back away from the beast, and it continued to watch. I mumbled to myself a few prayers to the Goddess, hoping for some salvation from the monster before me. Perhaps I was heard by her, or because I did not draw a weapon on it, but whatever the reason, the beast turned away from us, and began wandering away. I took a moment to sigh in relief, and let out a quiet sob into my daughter's coat.

As I was bringing her back to the campsite, I saw Azrael charging towards us. As soon as we were within the lanturn’s sound, she began barking questions at me, with fury in every single word.

“Where were you two?! Why did you run away from the camp?! Why did you not tell anyone else where you went?!”

“My love, please rela--” Azrael interrupted by backhanding me.

“No, you’re going to start giving answers right now, “ the anger in her voice began to rise even more. Sariel buried her face in my chest, as I took a step back from Azrael.

“She went to go for a walk in the woods. She’s safe and fine now. Please, just calm down.”

Azrael snached Sariel by her arm, and raised her in the air, “What the hell were you doing, going off on your own?! Did you want to end up like the rest of them?! After all that’s happened already?!” All Sariel could do was cry. “And you!” she pointed at me, “Why the hell didn’t you do anything to stop her?!”

I snatched her back from Azrael, and held her close to me, “If I hadn’t gone if I did, she might have been slain by that beast in the woods!” Her voice and tone changed on the spot. Stun and shock took place of her anger and fury.

“You… you saw it? You saw that beast?”

“Yes. It was deep in the woods, but it ran off from here. It shouldn’t bother us any--”

“And you didn’t kill it?! Samael you KNOW what that thing did to us! You know how many people it killed! And you just let it go without even fighting it?!”

“If I fought it, it WOULD have killed us! What the hell’s gotten into you, Az?”

All she could do in response was scream and punch the nearby try, which promptly fell to the ground. My Azrael was strong, but this was something else. She looked back to me, and a black ooze began to envelope one side of her face. In my time studying as a cleric, I heard tales of phenomenon such as this; where the inner emotions of one self can manifest themselves, and turn someone into something horrid. I called out to her, begging and pleading for her to calm down. But for whatever reason, it only fueled her rage more. I set Sariel behind me, and gave her the lantern.

“Daddy, what’s happening to Mum? Why’s she so scary?” she asked, tears filling in her eyes. I could help but hug her.

“It’s alright, my dear. Your Mum’s just sick, but Dad will help her feel all better. Now, please, run off to the others.”

“B-but… I don’t want you to get hurt.”

“I’ll be alright. Dads are strong, so I’m strong. It’ll be alright, I pr--” Azrael interrupted by decking the side of my head, sending me flying into a tree. The black ooze absorbed her more as she roared. From what I could tell, Sariel fell to her feet, and just sat there crying. She couldn’t tell what to do. I got to my feet, and readied myself for Az’s next attack, but it was fruitless. The snow made it hard to catch my footing, and her strength was only growing stronger. She grabbed me by the neck, and slammed me into the ground. With what breath I still had, I begged Sariel to run away from here.

From there, it all starts to blur together. The blackness had enveloped Azrael completely, and she had started to mortally wound me. Blood poured from my stomach and mouth, as I tried my best to hold my ground. My vision began to go, but the last thing I saw was my little Sariel, still crying. The last words I uttered out to her was, “It’ll be okay, love. Don’t worry.” Whether or not they were of help, I couldn’t quite tell you.

* * *

Darkness. Silence. All senses numbed. The eternal void was all I knew. Who was I? What was I? How long had I been here? I didn’t know. I could have been here for a few moments, or even a few millennia. From the darkness, eventually, came a bright light that soon took hold of the darkness, and vanquished it. Within the light stood a woman, who slowly approached me. Her long, brown hair draped over her white and gold robes, and she looked upon me with gentle but peculiar looking eyes. In those moments, I knew who I stood before. I dropped to my hands and knees in prayer to the Goddess, who now graced my existence.

“Oh great goddess, mother of the Earth, and keeper of the Gardens above. I am not worthy to be within your presence,” I said, bearing my eyes away from her image. A soft hand held my chin, and gently lifted it to face her.

“Ease yourself, my child,” she spoke, in the most soothing voice, “You needn’t worry yourself.”

“B-but I cannot bear my eyes upon you. Your Holiness’ visage is too pure for one such as myself.”

“You are pure and noble of heart, Samael Enoch. Now please, stand yourself up.” Like a loyal knight, I stood and faced the Goddess. My hands still trembled, and my heart raced; I couldn’t believe I stood before her. But what was that name she said? Samael? Was that who I was? Perhaps if I asked her, she could tell.

“You have many questions for me, but I ask that it wait. I have a task for you, Samael,” she said. I nodded my head in agreement, still attempting to hold back my trembling. “There is one of the earth that requires your aid. She has been taken down a dark path, and I fear for what may happen should she continue down this path,” she continued, as she held her hand to me. In it was a white zinnia, and it felt strangely familiar to me.

“Are you quite sure, my Goddess? I know not if I can do such a task; I don’t even know who I am anymore.”

“The one who has strayed was once very close to you. I shall grant you the return of your memories. Then you will understand what you must do.”

I tried to speak up, but she hushed me with her palm to my forehead. Like the bursting of a dam, all memories came rushing back to me. I could remember the woods, the village, the people. I could remember the great beast, and Azrael. But most prominent of all, I could remember Sariel. The sweet sunshine of happiness and hope in our lives. So innocent in her youth, but now I could tell was corrupted. She needed to be saved.

“The one you call Sariel must see the light, and must stray from the path she currently walks. That is your duty, Guardian Samael.” Just as she said that, a purple halo appeared atop my head, as did radiant white wings on my back. “Now go, and return to me when your mission is done.”

With her final words, the light around me vanished, and I was left alone on a river bank. The air was cold, and the winds bellowed around me. Up to the north, I could see the lights of an encampment. With my newfound wings, I took to the air, and made my way to the clan that took my daughter away. The Aamon Clan.

* * *

In the village of Elegy, far south of the Eblana continent, there sat a Library of a rather small size. That is to say, small for Qi libraries, which can be very big. Shelves upon shelves of books were being lifted off en masse to be transported. The village was being called to evacuate, due to a potential threat of war in the near future, and were being sent south to a Qi village in the Aishuth continent.

Amongst the piles of books, organizing and packing them away, was a Qi of the name, Lare, (pronounced La-Rey for those not fluent in Qi names). The day had been a long one, storing and taking inventory of over 1200 books for transport thus far. While the Qi have incredible mental prowess, such a task would tire out most Qi. The final shelf for the day was just finished being emptied, when something was spotted just in Lare’s peripheral; another book. Far in the back of the shelf, mostly obscured by shadow, laid a rather old book. It had no name nor markings on it, save for the cracks and wrinkles made on the leather cover. Curious, Lare began to thumb through the book. As it turned out, it was a journal. It seemed to be of a few hundred years in age, judging from the paper’s composition, and told the tale of some man’s life. But as the Qi gingerly thumbed through the journal, one thing caught his eye that made him speed off out of the library.

Passing through the doors and flying to the center of the village, Lare headed to the home of Elegy’s esteemed Doredo. He was the advisor to Dutchess Bryony, who had been housing some very important guests for the past month or so. The Qi floated into the home, and knocked on the back door. Normally, this would lead to a storage closet. However, a Prism Key laid in the lock of the door, which enchanted it to lead elsewhere. A few moments passed, before the door opened up.

“Look, I already told you to pack everything away in the third transport vehicle,” Doredo called out, as the door opened, “I’m very busy right now, so if you could please--”

“Ah, no sir, I’m not here to ask about that, sir,” Lare nervously said, holding the journal up like a shield, “I was going to ask if Miss Aamon was still around?”

“Hmm? What business do you have with her?”

“I have something very important to give to her, sir.”

Taking a once-over of the Qi and the journal, Doredo nodded and let him pass. Lare floated out of the office, and to the grand hall where a bespeckled angel stood, conversing with a friend of hers.

“E-excuse me, Miss Aamon?”

Sariel turned to the Qi, curiously, “Yes? May I help you?”

“I, uh… I found this while clearing out the library in Elegy. I believe it’s for you,” Lare said, floating the journal up to the woman.

“Are you quite sure? It’s rather… well, old looking.”

“I’m sure, ma’am. You should read where the bookmark is. But, ah, do be careful.”

Sariel gingerly opened up the book, seeing the ribbon bookmark, which matched the age of the rest of the journal. She began to read the entry as followed:

* * *

_ The days grow long, and the nights even longer. I have stayed the past fortnight in my home of old, hoping the nostalgia would lift my spirits. However, I am filled with a bitter sorrow instead. The memories of my former life fill this place with visions of the lost and forgotten. Spirits of a once happy folk walk freely around me, before the biting wind blows them away. The Goddess assured me my daughter would walk the earth again, in time, but not soon. I know not when that will be, and I fear I won’t be around to see her once more. Though, perhaps that is fitting. The village of Hush had been long abandoned to time, and all traces of our once happy family are gone. Even the powers bestowed upon me by the goddess are meant to let me be unseen. It seems I am destined to be forgotten. It’s a saddening fate, though I am not without some hope. I know, despite what transpired, that I saved my daughter. She will walk again. I know that much at least. _

_ Last we spoke, the Goddess bestowed upon me a sacred White Habenaria. Not for me to wield, but to act as its courier. I am to wait in the woods, nearby the Shunem Capital. There, in time, I will meet the one who I am to bestow this too. I have dawdled too long here, so I shall take my leave. This journal I will also leave behind, in the hopes that, one day, my sweet Sariel will one day find it. Please, remember me. Remember your home here. You’re Sariel Seraphim Enoch. And whatever the fates that guide us have inline for you, I know you will aspire to wonderous things. I will always love you. _

_ ~ Samael J. Enoch _

**Author's Note:**

> I tried to do something I never thought I'd do: write out what happened to Sariel's parents. It was always meant to be vague and not too clear, but some ideas started to stew in my head, which resulted in this. A lot of the world building stuff is credited to my friend Enemene, who you all should support, since it takes place in her world.


End file.
